Thank you for your editorial suggesting it is time to end the death penalty in California (Editorial, Jan. 4). For all the reasons you cited, I totally agree. It has never been shown to be a deterrent, and it is certainly not the hallmark of a civilized, progressive society. We must let our representatives know we no longer will support this barbaric practice.

Rev. Berget Jelane

Buddhist minister San Jose

GOP going overboard to sway voters in Iowa

What some Republican presidential candidates will do to sway Iowans amazes me. They must think voters there are no smarter than the cows in the barnyard. Carly Fiorina recently downplayed her well-publicized support of the Iowa football team (vs. her alma mater, Stanford) in the Rose Bowl game with her comment, ” … can’t a girl ever have a little bit of fun?”

What’s next? Signing up at FarmersOnly.com? Oh come on, can’t a girl have a little bit of fun?

Marialis Seehorn

Sunnyvale

Legislators will waste any additional taxes

It is great that state Sen. Jim Beall is proposing a “lock box” (Editorial, Jan. 5) for his idea for additional transportation funding. But since current transportation funding is not in a lock box, what keeps our “fine” Legislature from diverting current funding when they see all this new funding come in? Since the Legislature has proven time and again their ability to waste massive amounts of tax dollars, I cannot support any additional taxes.

William B. Ortendahl

Santa Clara

Let’s create more art in response to vandalism

I took my children, grandchildren and siblings on a tour of public art in San Jose over the holidays. We didn’t all agree about the art, but we did all agree that public art installations are stimulating, fun and give character to a city! I am dismayed that anyone would vandalize art projects but think that the only appropriate response is to double down and create more art.

Rebeccah Miller

San Jose

Building more dams is not answer to drought

Victor Davis Hanson (Opinion, Jan. 3) thinks the solution to the state’s drought is to build more dams and stop wasting water by allowing it to flow to the ocean. Perhaps he is unaware that we already have 1,400 dams in California and that every river except for the Smith River in the far north has been dammed. Besides, due to climate change, more of our future precipitation will fall as rain rather than snow, meaning that there will be less snowmelt to fill existing (or new) reservoirs. As temperatures rise due to global warming, even more water in our reservoirs will be lost to evaporation. Diverting more water from the Delta, as Hanson proposes, would deal a death blow to species such as Delta smelt and coho salmon that are teetering on the brink of extinction. Let’s continue exploring innovative solutions such as water recycling, storm water capture, desalination and more efficient water use by farmers rather than building more dams.

Frank Eldredge

San Jose

Management ruined reputation of 49ers

Sadly, the San Francisco 49ers management has demolished the reputation of a once well-regarded franchise. It appears events are going the way of the Al Davis years of revolving door coaches with all the ineptness that followed it. Truth, forthrightness and loyalty are among the casualties. Will the elder Yorks persist in suffering this affliction of a demoralized fan base with the attendant dispirited flying banners and empty seats? Eddie DeBartolo and Carmen Policy, where are you?

Tony Favero

Half Moon Bay

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

An editorial appearing in the Dec. 30 edition of this newspaper incorrectly reported the amount of water generated by the Carlsbad Desalination Plant. The correct amount is 50 million gallons per day.